Haunted
by Navigator101
Summary: Modern AU. Alanna is haunted by dreams of a mysterious man and a life they shared together long ago. Written for MoT's October challenge.


Disclaimer: I don't own Tamora Pierce because if I did I certainly wouldn't be writing fanfic based on her works no matter how much fun it is.

A.N: This is for the MoT October Challenge the theme is Rebirth. This story was very fun and interesting to write as I wasn't sure what it was going to be at first. It's also heavily based on the style of my good friend Lioness's Heart's story Memories of Never. If you like mine and haven't read hers I highly suggest you check it out as it's an amazing story. The italics are both dreams and words taken from TP's books. Some of the wording has been changed up a bit to fit the dream but it still belongs to Mrs. Pierce.

Haunted

Seven year old Alanna tossed and turned restlessly in her sleep. Her dream wasn't a typical dream for her. Instead of a dream about what she had done that day or having fun with her brother she was a grown woman and she had two children on her hips. The children had strawberry blonde hair and hazel eyes and were holding her tight while laughing. The adult version of her was trying to look serious but her purple eyes were twinkling as she looked at a tall man with tan skin. He had the same hazel eyes as the twins on her hips with brown hair. The man was talking to a few other people until the older version of her opened her mouth. _"This is a fine welcome you've given me, laddy-buck. Here I am, home from the wars, and you let me be swarmed over by barbarians, whilst you flirt with my friends." After her comment the man excused himself and took the twins from her arms and set them down before he promptly pulled her into his arms and kissed her. He even dipped her for added effect getting cheers from a lot of the people standing around._

Alanna woke up and looked around to make sure she was actually in her bedroom and not the place she had seen in her vision. It had felt very familiar to her as had the man which was silly since she had never seen that man in her life and she'd never seen that place either. The dream had felt so real. The older looking version of her had been happy to be back at the place but even happier to see that man and the two children she'd had on her hips before the man removed them. Alanna shook her head. It was probably just a weird dream as a result of watching King Arthur before she and Thom had gone to bed. She let out a yawn before rolling over to fall asleep again. No matter how familiar that man had been he wasn't real. He was probably just something her mind had dreamed up to be a Prince Charming. Most people might not consider him a Prince Charming but Alanna felt that an actual Prince Charming was overrated.

The next morning at breakfast once their parents weren't paying attention Alanna turned her attention to her twin to see if he'd ever had a dream like the one she'd had. "Thom have you ever had a dream that feels real? Before you say yes did the dream involve you being grown up and wearing clothes that look like they came from movies like King Arthur?"

Thom looked at his twin sister with surprise. That wasn't like his sister to have such a firm idea of what type of dream she was looking for in mind. Normally she didn't care about dreams. At the moment she looked wide awake instead of her usual grumpy morning self. Her red hair was pulled back in a messy braid filled with tangles but her purple eyes were very intent on him. "I haven't had a dream like that Lanna. You liked the movie too much is all if you had a dream like that. No more King Arthur before bed for you we're watching something else next time."

Alanna shook her head scowling at Thom. "It felt to real to be brought on from just watching a movie Thom. It felt like I was coming home. I was happy to be there and I was especially happy to see the man and children in my dream. Why would I dream about a man and children from watching King Arthur? His Marriage ended in tragedy."

Thom shook his head. "Maybe because you don't know how that marriage in your dream ended? It could very well have ended in tragedy. Besides it's one dream Lanna for all you know you just liked some of the characters in King Arthur that didn't have much screen time and you had a dream about them."

Alanna glared at her twin. "Not a chance Thom. The man never showed up in the movie. I would remember if he had. As for the twins they were obviously my children in the dream. They looked like a mixture of that man and me. Don't tell me I saw them in a movie and dreamed about them."

Thom raised his hands in defeat. "Fine they weren't in the movie and I'm not going to argue with you over the man and kids you saw in your dream since you're being so defensive."

Alanna smirked at him. "That's better. I'm going to get dressed now so I'll see you in a few minutes Thom."

Alanna sighed as she got ready for bed a few weeks later. She'd been having dreams about that man off and on and she still didn't know his name. Their ages in the dream also seemed to vary. Sometimes the twin children were in the dream with another little boy and other times she and the man were younger and obviously unmarried. It would be nice if she could learn the mans name. She settled into bed and fell asleep wondering if she would dream about the mysterious man again that night. _Alanna was sitting under a tree dozing with a black cat in her lap when a man came thundering into the courtyard on a horse. She peered up at the man through her eyes and lit up before leaping to her feet dumping the cat to the ground. "George!"_

_ The man grinned and grabbed her. His brawny arms closed tight; She was lifted, spun, then well kissed. Alanna looked up into dancing hazel eyes. "How did you know we were here?" She asked wiping teary eyes on his sleeve._

_ "Stop that lass," He whispered. "Messenger birds remember? You're thin. Haven't you been eatin' my hero?_

Alanna woke up and smiled slightly. She obviously hadn't been married to the man in her dreams yet but she finally had a name to put to the face. Her dream man's name was George. She couldn't wait to tell Thom in the morning. He was the only one she'd told about her dreams. She had a feeling if she told her parents they would send her to see a shrink and she had no wish to do that. She liked the dreams about George. They comforted her and made her feel happy she was worried if she told anyone but Thom about the dreams they'd vanish and she wouldn't see George again.

Sixteen-year-old Alanna rolled her eyes as Thom smirked at her. "Bear with me Lanna. You're the only one who's been having these dreams. You've been having them since we were eight and when you turned ten they branched out from just dreams about you and your perfect man and the family you had with him to an entire past life apparently. You and I were still twins and we had magical powers. Our mother died in childbirth and our father wanted nothing to do with us so we were able to switch identities when he sent us off to be a knight and lady?"

Alanna nodded her head. "Yes Thom. We've been over this thousands of times since I started having the dreams. You wanted to be a mage and I wanted to be a knight so we switched places. I made many friends at the palace and in the city and my closest friend that I trusted to contact you was a thief and the man I would later marry George Cooper. George is the man I've been dreaming about since I was eight. How many times are we going to have to go over this?"

Thom grinned. "I give you get testy when it comes to your thief. So since we were apparently reborn do you think any of the others were reborn as well if we're going on the theory that this past life of ours really did happen."

Alanna shook her head sighing. "I don't know Thom and I feel like the events in my dreams really did happen. I've seen a lot of things in my dreams but I still don't know how George and I got together for good. We were together for a time but broke it off when he had to return to Corus and I wasn't ready to return and continued traveling. I've seen our reunion when I finished traveling but we didn't get back together then. My dreams happen at random times none of them are in order."

Thom watched his sister and smiled slightly. He was still the only one who knew about her dreams because if she told anyone else they would want to send her to a shrink in her words and she enjoyed her dreams especially the ones that featured George and the family she had with him. If her dreams were real Thom hoped for his sister's sake that she was able to find George in this life so their love had a chance to live again and be known to the world. "Hopefully you'll find him Lanna. I know how much George means to you. I'm sure that if he's been reborn then he's searching for you and dreaming of you as much as you do him."

Alanna smiled softly at her brother. "Thanks Thom. That means a lot to me. I really do hope that if George was reborn that he and I can find each other and at least be friends. We weren't just husband and wife in our past life we were best friends as well. He knew everything about me. It would be nice to find him again and see if he can still do that."

Thom smiled. "I'm sure he can. From what you've told me of your dreams you haven't changed that much. You're still short, and very hot-tempered among other things. I think your George Cooper won't have a problem charming his way into your heart again if he hasn't changed that much either. Now we need to get some sleep if we're going anywhere tomorrow. It's almost midnight and you get cranky in the mornings and I don't feel like dealing with you if you stay up later. Especially on the off chance you don't dream about George tonight. You seem to be getting crankier when you don't dream about him. Maybe you'll get your wish and dream about how you two got back together for good. Night Lanna. See you in the morning."

Alanna rolled her eyes but smiled at her brother anyway. "Night Thom. See you in the morning." She then went to her room and settled into bed and fell asleep hoping Thom was right and that she would get lucky and dream about George that night. _Alanna was sitting in a tent along with George who was toying with her ember stone. _

_ "What do you want Alanna?"_

_ She caught his hand and met his eyes smiling. "I want to be yours if you're still interested."_

_ His fingers tightened on hers. "Why?"_

_ Alanna looked down. "I love you."_

_ He made her look up at him. "Enough to wed with me? Enough to give up romain' and settle down and be the Lady of Pirate's Swoop?" She looked at him quizzically and he blushed. "Well, to roam with me along?" Alanna nodded. George took a breath. "Enough to bear my-our-little ones?"_

_ She blushed. "I'd like to have you to myself for a year or two. After that, we'll have all the children we want." Her voice cracked as she added, "I'll be proud to."_

_ Rising George pulled Alanna into his arms. "So I finally tamed myself a Lioness." He whispered when they broke their kiss_

_Alanna laughed. "I wouldn't call it tamed, laddy-me-love. The Lady of Pirate's Swoop shouldn't be tame."_

Alanna woke up and smiled sleepily. Thom had been right. She did dream of how she and George got back together. Either her twin was psychic or he had a lucky guess that night. Her curiosity had been satisfied. George had come to see her while she was with the Bazhir and she had made the first move that time and been very pleased with the result. She got a wonderful husband and three amazing children because she had chosen to tell George how she felt. Now if she could only find someone as amazing as George in her current or real life as Thom would put it that would be even better. She then fell back asleep.

Alanna sighed impatiently as she waited on Thom to finish up in the bookstore. They'd been in the store for two hours now and she was getting tired of waiting on her brother. "Thom when you finally decide what books you want I'll be waiting for you outside." She got a vague agreement from her brother which made her roll her eyes before she walked to the entrance of the bookstore and right into someone because she hadn't been paying attention to where she was going. Alanna looked up to see who she had run into and froze. Standing in front of her was the man she'd been dreaming about since she was eight.

The young man gave her a charming smile. "Are you alright?" Alanna nodded her head mutely unable to form any words as she looked up at him. He then offered her his hand still giving her that charming smile. "That's good. My name is George Cooper."


End file.
